Controls for elevator doors



Oct. .8, 1968 J. E. MAGEE CONTROLS FOR ELEVATOR DOORS Filed June 22, 1967 X53 PKS PCL pcwz -41 see FLO

FLZ

INVENTOR. Joy/v if M4666 United States Patent CONTROLS FOR ELEVATOR DOORS John E. Magee, Greenburgh, N.Y.

(191 Forest Blvd., Ardsley, N.Y. 10502) Filed June 22, 1967, Ser. No. 648,144 8 Claims. (Cl. 18752) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Automatic elevator car door control apparatus for closing door after short dwell period either relatively fast if landing stop is made only for car call or relatively slowly if there is, or is registered before the door closes, a landing call registered at the landing at which the stop is made. Also, optionally, fast closing if door is reopened by passenger in doorway or if passenger passes through doorway, assured lighting of car lights if hatchway door open and flashing of car lights if door closing delayed.

This invention relates to control means for operating an elevator, and more particularly to means for controlling the movement of elevator doors in non-attended elevator systems, initiation of door closing being prerequisite to starting the elevator.

It is present practice in non-attended elevator systems to have hatchway access doors at each landing and car access doors for each car and to hold such doors fully at each stop a period of time suflicient to permit movement of entering passengers to the car from a' landing button station, which may be some distance removed from the car entrance, particularly in banks of elevators where one such station may be associated with several elevators. Starting operations for a car may be initiated either when the' doors commence to close or when they have reached the closed position. This fully-opened-door period, known as the dwell period, is cumulative for all stops and can constitute an'appreciable portion of the total service cycle of an elevator. Heretofore, it was known to reduce this dwell period for favorable 'conditions of passenger transfer. i

It is an object of i this invention to improve operatin efiiciency by an improved door control system.

It is afurther object of the invention to expedite transfer of'entering passengers at landings served.

"It is another object of the invention to provide safer access to an elevator by such landing passengers.

In the preferred embodiment of this invention the aforementioned dwell period will be a minimum, such as one second, and shall be substantialy constant regardless of the nature of passenger transfer. A permissible maximum door closing speed shall be'effective whenever passenger transfer does not involve recognition of a demand'regis tered by an entering passenger at the landing at which the elevator is stopped. In response to a registered landing call at such point of stop, however, an appreciably reduced closing speed'of 'the elevator closure means will be effective. Alternatively, or in addition to the aforementioned system, a detection device may be provided for determining whether or not a passenger transfer has occurred, and if such'transfer'has occurred then the maximum permissible door closing speed will prevail, and if a transfer has not occurred then a slower door speed will prevail. M i i It will be appreciated that the fixed minimum dwell period, in the case of a landing passenger, tends to exert an expediting effect. Further, the total passenger access time remains substantially the same as that provided with prior art arrangements. That is, a shorter dwell period coupled with a slower door closing speed will substantially equal a longer dwell period coupled with a faster door closing speed. With respect to the safety of transferring passengers, it is noted that those leaving an elevator normally move a short distance to pass through the car doorway, and accordingly, a certain maximum permissible closing speed of the doors is justified. In the case of passengers entering at a landing, they frequently have to walk a far greater distance, and as a consequence they may be expected to be moving at substantially greater body velocity. In the event of impact, a reduced door closing speed is an advantage. In addition, the slower door movement tends to improve the accuracy of a passengers judgment in approaching the closing doors.

A further advantage of my invention resides in the reduced number of door interceptions or reversals, thereby increasing the service life of the door operating equipment.

Features and advantages of the invention will be seen from the foregoing and from the following description of the operation of the preferred embodiments, which description should be considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a simplified schematic wiring diagram of initiating and sustaining circuits for operation of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a simplified schematic wiring diagram of application circuits for the invention;

FIGS. 3 and 4 are simplified schematic wiring diagrams of associated door control improvements; and

FIG. 5 is a simplified schematic wiring diagram of an alternate door control circuit.

For simplification, the illustrated embodiment of the invention is described in combination with the elevator control system of my Patent No. 3,314,501. It is understood, however, that the invention can readily be used in combination with many other systems of elevator control, especially such systems as automatically start an elevator car from landings and automatically stop it at landings with registered demands, such stop initiation being segregated in circuitry as to demands for service registeredat the landingsserved by the elevator. Also, for convenience, diagram conventions of said patent are used herein. In known systems where dual car and hatchway doors are employed, both the hatchway access doors and the car access doors are moved together. My invention will be described in relation to such systems, but it will be apparent that the invention is applicable to other systems, such as those with single doors. The term access door as used in the claims shall mean either a single or divided door and either or both the car or the hatchway door.

In addition to the use of the switches and contacts of said Patent No. 3,314,501, the following additional contacts are used.

Switch Additional contacts XS XS3 SR SR3, SR4, SR5, SR6 H H9, H10

XC XC4 Referring to said Patent No. 3,314,501, it isnoted that the landing call stop switch XS is energized momentarily in conjunction with stop initiation for a registered landinglcall demand. In conjunction with the registration of said call,'while the car is stopped at the associated landing, the set and reset status of start switch SR reflects start and stop operations, respectively, of the elevator. Energization of field and brake switch H is related to elevator movement and its de-energized condition indicates' that the elevator has stopped. 'In said patentgtiming of the. dwell time switch NT fixes the duration of the aforementioned door open dwell-iritervalJFor full utilization of the advantages of this invention, said switch 'timing may be assumed fixed at the period of time required for elevator doors to open fully plus approximately one second.

In addition to the switches specified in said patent, electromagnetic switches utilized in the illustrated embodiment of this invention are as follows:

TXS Hall call memory switch. DCLD Door closed switch.

DC Door closing switch.

DO Door opening switch. FLT Flicker delay switch.

FL Flicker switch.

DCOO Open interlock switch. TXC Car call memory switch.

In the diagrams the letter designation of each switch identifies its actuating coil. Similar identification of each associated pair of switch contacts is used with a sufiix number to differentiate between contacts common to each particular switch. Switches PKS, FIG. 1, and LKS, FIG. 3, are manually operable and may be key actuated. Mechanical contacts DOL and DCL are actuated by door movement to their open condition at full open and full close extremities of travel, respectively. They are shown for the open door condition. Similiarly, contacts PCL are actuated by door movement to open and remain open whenever the door is more than, say, one-half closed. Contacts DSSl are actuated to their open condition upon contact of the leading edge of the car door with an object, such as when the door closing is interrupted. If desired, contacts DSSZ of the same mechanical switch can be used to initiate door reopening in conjunction with the door close interruption of DSSl contacts.

In FIG. 1, assuming switch PKS closed and contacts XS3 closing for stop initiation in response to a hall call, it will be seen that this permits operation of the hall call memory switch TXS and the charging of capacitor CXS. Contacts TXSl close to prepare a sustaining circuit. With call cancellation, contacts XS3 separate and contacts SR3 close. Capacitor CXS acts to sustain TXS during this brief interval. With contacts SR3 closed, the maintaining circuit for switch TXS is completed through previously closed TXS1 contacts. Upon the doors opening, contacts DCLD1 close to normally extend the self-held status of TXS beyond the car starting initiation (at which time SR3 contacts open and remain open), until the doors are again fully closed, when DCLD1 contacts separate. If the initial closing is followed by a reopening operation, however, the separation of contacts D06 drops out TXS to cancel or erase the memory, and thereby restore the faster closing operation. With switch PKS open, initiating action of the XS3 contacts is restricted to the period preceding the doors closing to their midpoint of travel. When the doors reach their midpoint of travel, the contacts PCL are separated. Thus, this can serve as a cut-off point for recognition of late registered landing calls at a landing at which a car is stopped.

' In-FIG. 2 somewhat conventional door operating circuits are shown, start switch SR and field and brake switch H contacts normally governing initiation of opening and unshunted portion of resistor DMAR determines the per-' missible maximumclosing speed previously mentioned,

normally being somewhat less than door opening speed.

When TXS, FIG. 1, is energized its contactsTXSZ, FIG. 2, will be separated and all of resistor DMAR'will then reduce the voltage available to armature DMA, thereby establishing the slow closing speed dictated by recognition and memory of a registered landing call at the floor of stop. Excitation of door motor field DMF is indicated as fixed, being controlled by resistor DMFR.

FIG. 3 shows circuitry for flashing the car lighting in the event the doorclosing is pnevented for an excessive period of time, to expedite correction of the abuse. While the doors are not closed, contacts DCLD2 are closed. With start initiation, SR6 contacts closed, energization of switch FLT is permitted. However, switch FLT is delayed in operation about 10 or 12 seconds, such as by means of a gas escapement mechanism, well known in the art. After switch FLT is operated, its FLTI contacts close to energize a flicker switch FL. Capacitor FLC and interruptor contact FL1 provide a pulsating operation of switch FL, its FL2 contacts alternatively opening and closing a. one-second periods, for example. The resultant flashing of the car lighting is intended as a deterrent against further prevention of the doors from closing, and may indicate that the car is being withdrawn from service.

FIG. 4 shows the field and brake switch H coil'circuits of Patent No. 3,314,501 rearranged to orient the hoistway door interlock contacts DCO to a position adjacent the negative power supply feeder. A switch DCOO is added which is directly responsive to said interlock contacts. ,As seen in FIG. 3, contacts DCOO1 bridge or shunt the car lighting control switch LKS. In the event this switch is open and the interlock contacts DCO are separated because of an open hoistway door condition, switch DCOO is de-energized and the DCOO1 contacts will assure continuity of the car lighting supply for reasons of safety.

According to my invention, the sequence of operation is as follows:

Assume, initially, that the stopping of the car at a land? ing is initiated in response to a landing call registered at a landing. Also, assume that switch PKS, FIG. 1, is open. With the doors closed and the elevator running, contacts PCL are separated. At stop initiation the closing of X83 contacts complete a circuit through H9 contacts for actuation of the switch TXS, and closing TXSl contacts. As pointed out in Patent No. 3,314,501, action of the landing callstop'switch XS causes reset of the start switch SR to close SR3 contacts, while simultaneously cancellation of the landing call drops the landing call stop swtich XS to open XS3 contacts. Capacitor CXS insures retention of the hall call memory switch TXS during transfer of circuits from through XS3 to through SR3. The hall call memory switch TXS is now maintained energized through SR3 and TXSI contacts.

Upon stopping at the landing, contacts H10, FIG. 2, close to initate door opening through excitation of coil DO, the circuit extending .from the positive feed line through closed limit contacts DOL, contacts DCl, coil DO, contacts H10 and closedSRS contacts to the negative feed line. Then contacts D03 close to sustain opening action afforded by energization of door operator motor armature DMA through now closed D04 and D05 contacts.

With the initial opening motion of the door, DCL limit contacts close and the'door closed switch DCLD operates. Its contacts DCLD1, FIG .1, close to prepare a second maintaining circuit for switchTXS'. Midw'ay in opening, limit contacts PCL close. Upon completion of the deer opening, limit contacts DOL, FIG; 2, open thereby dropping switch DO. Its D04 and 'DOS contacts open to disconnect the door motor armature, DMA. Its D06 contacts, FIG. 1, close to complete the second TXS maintaining circuit through contacts DCLDl and TXSI.

As previouslyassumed, dwell time switch NT, shown in-said Patent .No. .3,3'14,501,.releases about one second later-to set start switch :SR. Contacts SR3 separate to render maintenance of the hall call memory switch '[TXS dependent on the DO6-DCLD1 circuit. The closing of contacts SR4, FIG. 2, complete acircuit for actuation ofthc door closing switch DC through safety shoe contacts DSSl, coil DC, contacts D02, and door close limit contacts DCL. Contacts DC2 and DC close to energize door motor armature DMA through the entire DMAR resistor for the slower closing speed, contacts TXS2 being open. At midpoint of closing, contacts -PCL, FIG. 1, open without effect. At the fully closed position, DCL contacts, FIG. 2, open releasing switches DCLD and DC. Contacts DCIJDl, FIG. 1, open to interrupt the sustaining circuit, and thus release TXS. The opening of contacts DCZ and D03 disconnect armature DMA, when the doors are in fully closed position.

It is now readily seen that if the landing call stop switch XS action occurred with the car at the landing, and with the doors fully open, the hall call memory switch TXS would be energized through the closed PCL contacts and the following door close operation would be the same as that just described, i.e. the slower door closing speed would prevail. This, also, applies during door closing to its midpoint of travel, at which point opening of the PCL contacts prevents later initiation of operation of the hall call memory switch TXS. With switch PKS in closed position it would apply throughout the entire door closing operation.

It is now readily seen that if the assumed stop was dictated solely by a call from within the elevator, the landing call stop switch XS being inactive, the hall call memory switch T XS would remain de-energized. The closed TXS2 contacts, FIG. 2, would shunt a portion of the resistor DMAR and armature DMA voltage and speed would be controlled by the unshunted portion of the resistor. In practice this could be sustantially two-thirds of the opening speed, and with the full DMAR resistor controlling, the slower closing speed could be about two-thirds of the faster closing speed.

Assume now that in recognition of a cancelled landing call at the floor of stop and while the doors are closing at the slower rate afforded by open TXS2 contacts, an entering passenger actuates the door edge safety device to open contacts D551 and close contacts DSSZ, in FIG. 2. At this time contacts SR3, FIG. 1, are open and the hall memory switch TXS is sustained through its own TXSl, DCLDI and D06 contacts. The opening of contacts DSSl, FIG. 2, drop the door closing switch DC to terminate closing action. Contacts DSS2, through the now closed DC1 contacts, initiate door reopening action, sustained through contacts D03. Coincident with the door reopening, contacts D06, FIG. 1, separate, thereby releasing the hall memory switch TXS. This cancels the memory of the iniital landing call as a control of the door reclosing, and permits door closing, subsequent to a reopening operation, to be at the faster closing rate.

However, it will be appreciated that actuation of the landing call stop switch XS while the car is stopped at the landing, and the car door is completely open or initially opening, results in reducing the door closing speed.

As best seen in FIG. 5, the aforementioned system can readily be modified to provide reduced door closing speed prior to discharge of a car call passenger in well known systems in which a light beam is projected across the doorway and falls on a photocell which controls a relay, the relay being in one condition when the beam is uninterrupted and the relay being in a second condition when the beam is interrupted, such as by the passage of a passenger through the doorway. In this modified embodiment a car call memory switch TXC, a counterpart of the hall call memory switch-TXS, is actuatable in conjunction with the car call stop switch XC relay of Patent No. 3,314,501, and the circuit of DMAR, F IG. 2, is modified as shown in the lower part of FIG. 5. Assuming that contacts XC4 are closed'for stop initiation in response to a car call, it will be seen that this permits operation of the car call memory switch TXC and the charging of the capacitor CXCfContacts TXCl close to prepare a sustainting circuit andcontacts TXC2 open to cause a slow door closing speed, as described above. With call cancellation, contacts XC4 separate and the contacts PC1 of said known photocell relay sustain TXC. When a passenger departs from the car and interrupts the light beam, the photocell relay opens its contacts PC1 and interrupts the sustaining circuit for the switch TXC. Contacts TXCZ, which are wired in series with the TXS2 contacts, close causing the door speed to increase unless, additionally, contacts TXS2 are open due to a landing call.

As it is evident that other embodiments and circuit arrangements can be made without departing from the scope of this invention, it is intended that drawings and description of the preferred embodiments herein be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

What is claimed is:

1. In an elevator system comprising an elevator car serving a plurality of landings and having at least one access door associated therewith at said landings, all means in said car for registering car calls for said landings, call means at said landings for registering landing calls for said car and means for stopping said car at said landings in response to registration of car and landing calls, the combination therewith of door control means comprising door operating means for opening said door upn arrival of said car at a landing for which a call is registered and for initiating closing of and moving said door toward its closed position a predetermined time after the door has reached its open position, said door operating means having closing means for selectively closing said door at first and second rates, said first rate being slower than said second rate, and selecting means controlling said closing means and responsive to said call means for closing said door at said first rate when said car stops at a landing in response to a landing call and for closing said door at said second rate when said car stops at a landing at which there is no registered landing call.

2. A system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said selecting means comprises means responsive to operation of said landing call means at a floor at which said car has stopped and during the period said door is open for closing said door at said first rate.

3. A system as set forth in claim 2 wherein said selecting means is unresponsive to operation of said landing call means when said door has reached a predetermined, partly closed position and during further closing of said door.

4. A system as set forth in claim 1 further comprising object detecting means responsive to the presence of an object in the path of said door for preventing movement of said door toward its closed position and wherein said selecting means is responsive to operation of said detecting means and closes said door at said second rate after said detecting means is operated and said object is removed.

5. A system as set forth in claim 1 further comprising detecting means for detecting the passage of a passenger through the path of said door and wherein said selecting means is first set for closing of said door at said first rate when said car stops at a landing at which there is no registered landing call and is reset for closing of said door at said second rate when said detecting means is operated by said passage of a passenger.

6. A system as set forth in claim 1 further comprising control means operated when said door is open and car illuminating mean-s operated by said control means when said door remains for a predetermined time in a position other than its closed position.

7 8 7. A system as set forth in claim 6 wherein said door References Cited is a hatchway door. r N

8. A system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said UNITED STATES FATE i access door is a car door and further comprising control 2,806,553 9/1957 Eames 187' 43 means operated when said door is open and car illumi- 5 2,867,292 1/1959 Bums 187-48 nating means operated by said control means with period- 3,301,350 1/1967 Hallene 187-52 ically varying intensity when said car door remains in other than its closed position for a time greater than a EVON BLUNK Primary Examiner predetermined time. H. C. HORNSBY, Assistant Examiner.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3,404,753 October 8, 1968 John E. Magee It is certified that error appears in the above identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Column 5, line 12, DC" should read DCB line 27, "all" should read call Signed and sealed this 24th day of February 1970.

Column 6,

(SEAL) Attest:

WILLIAM E. SCHUYLER, JR.

Edward M. Fletcher, Jr.

Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents 

